Console
by corneroffandom
Summary: It falls to Daniel Bryan to keep things together on the Road to Wrestlemania.


It had been a truly horrible few days. No other way to describe it, when Kane's lurking around, quiet and hurting, angry and tense, and that's on top of his usual emotional issues. Daniel Bryan closes his eyes and rubs his forehead as he enters their hotel room, unsurprised to find the larger man sitting on the bed furthest from the door, his back to him. He had been pissed tonight, yeah. Kane had left him high and dry in his match against Dolph Ziggler but, here, now, staring at him in the shadowy room, he feels it slowly drain from him. Despite how much he'd just wanted Kane to care, for his match against Ziggler to matter to his tag partner, he understands that, for now, Kane needs to try to get vengeance for his disrespected father...

No matter how much it still hurts. He sighs, conflicted as he'd been through most of their partnership, which had outlasted everyone's expectations- including his own. Finally he decides to be the bigger man- no pun intended- and, after sitting on his own bed, turns to face the silent, eerie man. "Are you... ok?" He can feel Kane tensing from here and sucks in a deep breath, knowing it was a stupid opening question. "I just... I mean, I'm mad at you for not helping me tonight, or even seeming to care, but if you need to talk... I- I'm here. To listen. Or whatever."

He receives no answer and Daniel's frustrations grow once more, his face tensing with aggravation as he huffs and turns to face the wall nearest his bed, crossing his arms petulantly over his chest, deciding to ignore Kane for as long as Kane continues to ignore him and sulk in a sea of his own misery, somewhere that Daniel can't find a way to pry the larger man out. But the longer he sits there, the more he realizes that the room feels wrong. At any time that he's in his tag partner's presence, the area feels hot, his heat as the Devil's Favorite Demon a constant force in the air... except for now. The room feels... average. Almost cold, as the lingering winter chill brushes against the hotel's cheap windows. He realizes with a shock that he misses the warmth, or at least his tag partner's strength. To think of him as weak, or broken somehow, is horrible, beyond wrong, but... somehow... painfully true.

He glances over his shoulder at the motionless man, shaking his head grimly. Their partnership had been full of ups and downs since they'd become champions last fall, but nonetheless, he had come to depend on Kane more than he cares to admit, and had managed to help the larger man a time or two as well. Deep inside, he knows that match losses don't really matter, not right this moment anyway- what _does_ is what Punk had done to Paul Bearer's memory, how he had disrespected the urn and everything it had stood for to both Kane and his brother. The final step being his using it as a weapon _against_ Kane himself. Daniel sighs heavily and once more stands up, returning to Kane's side.

"What do you want, Daniel?" the Big Red Monster finally asks, voice low and full of something Daniel had never really heard there before- pain.

He stares at what of Kane he can see from this angle, his face tense as he releases a faint breath, gingerly moving in front of the monster. Not saying a word, he holds his hands out for a hug, not giving up even when his tag partner doesn't move, barely glancing up at him as he waits expectantly. Dr. Shelby had started the _Hug It Out_ thing months ago and, even if Kane would never admit it, Daniel is pretty sure that the hugs _had_ made the larger man feel better, even if for only briefly, and he's pretty sure one would help now too.

But Kane doesn't move, his eyes closed as he breathes in deeply, trying to keep his temper at bay. "Not now, Daniel. Dr. Shelby's agenda won't-" But his shorter tag partner had never been great at listening to him and before he can even finish speaking, Daniel's arms are wrapped around him, pinning his massive arms to his sides, despite knowing that Kane could easily break his hold at any time. Despite how tense the monster is, Daniel remains, squeezing him determinedly. Finally Kane sighs and slumps a little, giving in to his partner's embrace, despite not moving even an inch.

It's enough for Daniel though, his lips twitching into a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry." Kane nods quietly and Daniel sighs, disgusted with Punk's actions all over again. He'd known the man for a long time, but every time he thinks he can't go any lower, he somehow manages to do just that. But one way or another, Daniel's sure that things will work out, and Punk'll pay. For now, though, he has to try to keep Kane together on the road to Wrestlemania, though he's not sure how exactly to do so. _Hopefully tonight is a good start..._


End file.
